Plus 2 additional months of operating expenses ($2600) for shows we haven’t planned yet. That puts us in the green for a full season of exhibitions.

Can you help us put on another full year's worth of incredible shows, events, performances, readings and fun times? Another year's worth of neighborhood partnerships, protests, community organizing, and poster giveaways? YES YES YES!

Let’s do this.

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You Can Help Support Artists in San Francisco!

Adobe Books is doubling down on its support for local artists with a campaign to remodel the Backroom Gallery into flexible community space capable of supporting a range of free art, film, music, and literary events. We have partnered with TAHC, a team of local artist-designers and friends of Adobe Books, who have developed designs and will oversee the remodel. We're launching this campaign to fund the construction in addition to raising our annual operating costs, which we do every year.

Ever since it opened in 2001, the Backroom Gallery has been dedicated to supporting emerging artists in San Francisco by giving them a space to take risks and experiment freely. As life has become more precarious for artists in San Francisco, the Backroom Gallery has been a constant. We are one of the precious GRASSROOTS ART SPACES IN SAN FRANCISCO.

It’s a tenuous time for leftist cooperative used bookstores in San Francisco, as well as the galleries inside them. This is a chance to support a critical community space within the Mission district where people can still gather freely, in various manifestations of organization and disorganization, that is genuinely accessible to people from every class.

By supporting this campaign you are supporting so many important things for our city, our citizens and our cultural producers. Thank you!

Maren Salomon, Neighborhood Seeds

What exactly are we doing?

We are honored to have already hosted many great artists and projects in our four years at the 24th street space. And with your help, we will continue to do that throughout the 2017-2018 exhibition season. We need to raise the money to pay our rent, which is $1300/month, inside of the bookstore. That's $15,600 per year, but we got an Alternative Exposure grant to cover 3 months, so that leaves us with 11,700 to raise. That, plus a very exciting $8500 remodel project is $20,200 total.

Our goal with the renovations is to elevate the gallery, which is now simply a converted office with track lights, in order to provide upcoming artist projects with a better space to present work in. This gift to our community and the artists we support will include updated lighting; an acoustic ceiling design that dampens noise and makes the gallery feel more expansive; a larger entryway to improve movement through the gallery; more continuous usable wall space; and neon signage to bring the Backroom to the forefront of people’s minds when they enter the bookshop. (Right now a lot of people come into the store and have NO IDEA THERE'S A GALLERY.)

Sculpture by Maria Guzman Capron as part of Bestiario/Menagerie

TAHC artist-designers are donating their labor, time and expertise. We need to pay for a general contractor, electrical installation, and materials. Here's our budget breakdown:

Any funding raised beyond our goal, will support future exhibitions and artists.
That translates to: PR for the space, a poster advertising upcoming events, our rent for the gallery (which we fundraise separately for every year) and maybe even (GASP) materials budgets for the artists we grant the space to.

n.b. If you would like to make a TAX DEDUCTIBLE donation to Adobe Books, we are fiscally sponsored through Fractured Atlas. You may make that donation here. Thank you!

Jason Houck, Melinda Turner and Danny Garcia of TAHC

About TAHC

TAHC consists of Jason Houck, Melinda Turner and Danny Garcia. They make playful, yet refined and formally rigorous art installations, architecture and objects, ideally combining all three to craft singular, immersive spaces. From murals to restaurant interiors to furniture that encourages interaction, our projects happen at different scales and respond to different cultural and experiential contexts.

When the Backroom Gallery began, Adobe Books was still on Valencia and 16th street. In that space, rent was considerably lower, and the sales in the store effectively subsidized the gallery space (which was small!) so that artists could use it free of charge, as a space to experiment in and present work to the public. In turn, the gallery augmented and supported the community built around the store by bringing in new people and serving as a focal point for events--value it continues to add to the store. With the move three years ago into the new space on 24th street (which came with the conversion from a single owner to cooperative ownership of the store), rent is much higher, and the store no longer pays its expenses by sales of used books alone--it now relies on rent from the gallery space (which is larger) and its back room (a hybrid stockroom and office) to survive. So the gallery has to fundraise. It does this through three avenues: annual events like auctions, dinners and crowdfunding campaigns; occasionally mounting slightly more commercial shows where sales are higher or the gallery can be used to augment the sales of the bookstore; and grants.

This year we've received an Alternative Exposure grant through Southern Exposure for a suite of three exhibitions which will take place in September, October and November. You can sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop here. We hope to see you soon!

In February, in response to recent policies, neighbor Kira Kmetz gave away copies of the U.S. Constitution in Spanish at our store.

**Please note! Jon Fellman's reward of Acupuncture/Bodywork is only available in San Francisco.**

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Alicia McCarthy Rewards:

Plate 1

Plate 1

Plate 2

Alicia McCarthy Plate 2

Plate 3

Alicia McCarthy Plate 3

Plate 4

Alicia McCarthy Plate 4

Plate 5

Alicia McCarthy Plate 5

Alicia McCarthy Plate 6

Alicia McCarthy Plate 7

Ethan Rafal, detail from Shock & Awe

Risks and challenges

TAHC and gallery director Eliza Gregory have been working with the larger Adobe Books co-op since last fall to get the broader community of Adobe volunteers excited about this. We've also been in conversation with our landlord, who has okayed these plans. But construction projects always have uncertainties (just like art!) so costs and timelines could end up being surprising. We are trying to build in some flexibility so we are ready for that.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 25 or more
About US$ 25

Pick out a book!

Come in and pick out a used book (up to $25 value). We'll have your name on a list--just stop in and find something surprising to take home. (Please be ready to show your id in the shop to confirm who you are.)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 100 or more
About US$ 100

Learn from the master

Go on a book buy with Andrew! Learn from the master book buyer. Shadow Andrew for an afternoon, grab a burrito, talk about books. It'll be grand. He doesn't email so be prepared to call him on the phone to set up a time.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 125 or more
About US$ 125

Shock & Awe, a photo book by Ethan Rafal

A twelve-year, autobiographical project examining the relationship between protracted war and homeland decay, Shock and Awe is a meticulously crafted image, text, and found object journal turned into a limited edition photo book that blurs the line between author and subject, and personal and authoritative histories. Completed over countless years traveling the United States, the project pulls from the traditions of documentary photography and writing set on the American road.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 130 or more
About US$ 130

Acupuncture/Bodywork by Jon Fellman

One combo acupuncture/bodywork session (90 minutes in length). This treatment will include needling and bodywork that is rooted in Thai Massage, Tui Na, and Shiatsu. Sessions take place in San Francisco or Oakland. ($130 value)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 300 or more
About US$ 300

Fashion Frames from BexSpex

Personal eyewear fitting with boutique eyewear designer of Bex Spex. Frames are handmade in Italy and limited to runs of less than 250. They take their inspiration from the ubiquitous San Francisco Victorians. ($300-$349 value)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 500 or more
About US$ 500

Plate painted by Alicia McCarthy

Alicia McCarthy’s delicate abstract paintings embrace a punk/folk aesthetic (also called “urban rustic”) that combines the Bohemian street culture of San Francisco with forms of folk art. Made with humble non-art materials such as house paint and discarded wood, McCarthy’s work recalls the intricate patterns of démodé textiles. Snippets of text like “THE REAL YOU” and “The way in is the way out” reveal some of her underlying concerns. McCarthy is a member of The Mission School—a movement that arose in San Francisco in the 1990s, embracing the urban rustic aesthetic—which was featured in the 2008 documentary Beautiful Losers. She won the 2017 SECA art award and will be exhibited at SFMOMA in July.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 500 or more
About US$ 500

Plate painted by Alicia McCarthy

TWO MORE PLATES HAVE BECOME AVAILABLE!

Alicia McCarthy’s delicate abstract paintings embrace a punk/folk aesthetic (also called “urban rustic”) that combines the Bohemian street culture of San Francisco with forms of folk art. Made with humble non-art materials such as house paint and discarded wood, McCarthy’s work recalls the intricate patterns of démodé textiles. Snippets of text like “THE REAL YOU” and “The way in is the way out” reveal some of her underlying concerns. McCarthy is a member of The Mission School—a movement that arose in San Francisco in the 1990s, embracing the urban rustic aesthetic—which was featured in the 2008 documentary Beautiful Losers. She won the 2017 SECA art award and will be exhibited at SFMOMA in July.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 500 or more
About US$ 500

Plate painted by Alicia McCarthy

TWO MORE PLATES HAVE BECOME AVAILABLE!

Alicia McCarthy’s delicate abstract paintings embrace a punk/folk aesthetic (also called “urban rustic”) that combines the Bohemian street culture of San Francisco with forms of folk art. Made with humble non-art materials such as house paint and discarded wood, McCarthy’s work recalls the intricate patterns of démodé textiles. Snippets of text like “THE REAL YOU” and “The way in is the way out” reveal some of her underlying concerns. McCarthy is a member of The Mission School—a movement that arose in San Francisco in the 1990s, embracing the urban rustic aesthetic—which was featured in the 2008 documentary Beautiful Losers. She won the 2017 SECA art award and will be exhibited at SFMOMA in July.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 500 or more
About US$ 500

Plate painted by Alicia McCarthy

Alicia McCarthy’s delicate abstract paintings embrace a punk/folk aesthetic (also called “urban rustic”) that combines the Bohemian street culture of San Francisco with forms of folk art. Made with humble non-art materials such as house paint and discarded wood, McCarthy’s work recalls the intricate patterns of démodé textiles. Snippets of text like “THE REAL YOU” and “The way in is the way out” reveal some of her underlying concerns. McCarthy is a member of The Mission School—a movement that arose in San Francisco in the 1990s, embracing the urban rustic aesthetic—which was featured in the 2008 documentary Beautiful Losers. She won the 2017 SECA art award and will be exhibited at SFMOMA in July.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 500 or more
About US$ 500

Plate painted by Alicia McCarthy

Alicia McCarthy’s delicate abstract paintings embrace a punk/folk aesthetic (also called “urban rustic”) that combines the Bohemian street culture of San Francisco with forms of folk art. Made with humble non-art materials such as house paint and discarded wood, McCarthy’s work recalls the intricate patterns of démodé textiles. Snippets of text like “THE REAL YOU” and “The way in is the way out” reveal some of her underlying concerns. McCarthy is a member of The Mission School—a movement that arose in San Francisco in the 1990s, embracing the urban rustic aesthetic—which was featured in the 2008 documentary Beautiful Losers. She won the 2017 SECA art award and will be exhibited at SFMOMA in July.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 500 or more
About US$ 500

Plate painted by Alicia McCarthy

Alicia McCarthy’s delicate abstract paintings embrace a punk/folk aesthetic (also called “urban rustic”) that combines the Bohemian street culture of San Francisco with forms of folk art. Made with humble non-art materials such as house paint and discarded wood, McCarthy’s work recalls the intricate patterns of démodé textiles. Snippets of text like “THE REAL YOU” and “The way in is the way out” reveal some of her underlying concerns. McCarthy is a member of The Mission School—a movement that arose in San Francisco in the 1990s, embracing the urban rustic aesthetic—which was featured in the 2008 documentary Beautiful Losers. She won the 2017 SECA art award and will be exhibited at SFMOMA in July.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 500 or more
About US$ 500

Plate painted by Alicia McCarthy

TWO MORE PLATES HAVE BECOME AVAILABLE!

Alicia McCarthy’s delicate abstract paintings embrace a punk/folk aesthetic (also called “urban rustic”) that combines the Bohemian street culture of San Francisco with forms of folk art. Made with humble non-art materials such as house paint and discarded wood, McCarthy’s work recalls the intricate patterns of démodé textiles. Snippets of text like “THE REAL YOU” and “The way in is the way out” reveal some of her underlying concerns. McCarthy is a member of The Mission School—a movement that arose in San Francisco in the 1990s, embracing the urban rustic aesthetic—which was featured in the 2008 documentary Beautiful Losers. She won the 2017 SECA art award and will be exhibited at SFMOMA in July.